Chaise longue

ABSTRACT

A chaise longue includes two foot frames of an inverted U shape, a seat and backrest composed of two side rods and a soft surface sheet fixed between the two side rods, which have respectively a sloped down front portion, a nearly horizontal intermediate portion and a sloping-up portion, and a support device pivotally fixed with rear sides of upper ends of the two side rods. The support device consists of two support rods and a support base connected pivotally with inner ends of the two support rods. The support rods have their outer ends respectively pivotally connected to the two side rods so that the two support rods may be expanded to form a line with the support base between the two side rods to expand the soft surface sheet. So the chaise longue can be collapsed to a small size for package to reduce the costs for transporting and prolong the service life of the soft surface sheet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a chaise longue, particularly to one having a seat and backrest made of a soft sheet able to be folded after chaise longue is assembled together so that the chaise longue may be collapsed to have a small size for transporting, reduced in its transporting cost.

[0002] Conventional chaise longues are generally classified into two kinds, one stationary and the other collapsible. A stationary chaise longue disclosed in Taiwan Utility Model Patent Publication No. 371867 (as attached appendix) titled “Chaise longue” dated Oct. 11, 1999 has a high backrest for a user to have the back completely lie thereon comfortably, but the size of the whole chaise longue is very large so that one container cannot carry a large number of them in transporting, resulting in a high transporting cost, disadvantageous to both makers and consumers.

[0003] Conventional collapsible chaise longues have two foot frames provided with feet to stand on the ground, and rods at two sides of a seat screwed with the feet firmly to become a stationary chaise longue. Then the seat may be made separable from the foot frames, having a smaller size than the stationary chaise longues, possible to render its transporting cost less than the stationary chaise longues, but the seat and backrest is made of a soft sheet (such as net-style cloth made of PVC), and the upper end of the seat and backrest is supported by an inverted U-shaped rod fixed on a rear side of side rods at the two sides of the upper end to avoid the portion of the soft seat and backrest sheet from recessing caused by the weight of the head of a user. Then the inverted U-shaped rod expand the two side rods so as to expand the soft seat and backrest sheet outward to support the head of a user. The length of the inverted U-shaped rod is longer than the distance between the two side rods, so the two side rods have to be expanded in advance to combine the inserted U-shaped rod and the two side rods. Then in packaging the conventional collapsible chaise longue, the seat and backrest is stationary, with the foot frame collapsible, so its package is still a little large, resulting in a little high transporting cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The objective of the invention is to offer a chaise longue having an expanding device for a soft seat and backrest sheet so as to collapse the chaise longue so as to reduce its size when collapsed, lessening its transporting cost effectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] This invention will be better understood by referring to the drawings, wherein:

[0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chaise longue in the present invention:

[0007]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the chaise longue in the present invention:

[0008]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a support device and a foot frame in the present invention:

[0009]FIG. 4 is a rear view of the support device combined with the foot frame in the present invention:

[0010]FIG. 5 is a rear view of the support device expanded for using the chaise longue in the present invention: and,

[0011]FIG. 6 is an upper view of the support device expanded in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] A preferred embodiment of a chaise longue in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a seat and backrest 10 and two foot frames 20 assembled together.

[0013] The two foot frames 20 are arch-shaped, respectively having two ends standing on the ground, three lateral rods 21, 22, and 23 respectively combined firmly between a front portion, an intermediate portion and a rear portion by means of screws screwing through walls of the two foot frames 20. Thus the two foot frames are collapsible to save their space in storing and transporting.

[0014] The seat and backrest 10 consists of two side rods 11 and 12 respectively having a sloped down front portion, a nearly horizontal intermediate portion used for a seat and a loping up upper portion used for a backrest, and a soft surface sheet 13 made of a soft material such as a plastic net cloth 13 kept between the two side rods 11 and 12. Then the two side rods 11 and 12 are screwed with the two foot frames 20 securely so as to permit the seat and backrest 13 for a user to sit or lie on. Further, a support device 3 is fixed between the two side rods 11 and 12, as shown in FIG. 3, located behind the intermediate portions of the two side rods 11 and 12 to be poised to expand outward the two side rods 11 and 12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The support device 3 can also be positioned between the lower ends of the two side rods 11 and 12, having two support rods 30 and 31 connected pivotally with a support base 32, which is shaped an inverted U and has an opening 320 facing downward for inner ends of the support rods 30 and 31 to fit there and pivotally connected with the support base 32. Therefore, when the two support rods 30 and 31 are expanded to the largest angle, they are stopped stably by the upper side of the support base 32, as shown in FIG. 5. And the whole length of the two support rods 30, 31 and the support base in the expanded position is a little larger than the distance between the two side rods 11 and 12 expanded so that the support base 32 may be pushed down to expand the two support rods 30 and 31 to the largest angle after the outer ends of the two support rods 30 and 31 are pivotally connected to the two side rods 11 and 12. Thus, the two side rods 11 and 12 are kept in the expanded position to force the soft surface sheet 13 extended outward, preventing the soft surface sheet 13 from recessing when the head of a user rests on the top of the soft surface sheet 13, and the user may feel comfortable.

[0015] On the other hand, when the chaise longue in the invention is to be packaged for transportation, the support device 3 can permit the two supports rods 30 and 31 collapse the two side rods 11 and 12 inward so as to reduce the dimensions of the chaise longue in transportation. In addition, the two support rods 30 and 31 and the support base 32 in the expanded position have the length a little longer than the distance between the two side rods 11 and 12 so that the support device 3 may have its intermediate portion bend a little rearward as shown in FIG. 6, in addition to extending the soft surface sheet 13 flat between the two side rods 11 and 12. Then there is a certain gap between the soft surface sheet 13 and the support device 3, preventing the head or the buttock of a user from contacting with the support device 3.

[0016] As can be understood from the above description, the expanding structure of the soft seat and backrest of the chaise longue in the invention effectively reduces the dimensions of the whole chaise longue collapsed and accordingly lessening its transporting cost, improving the disadvantage of the conventional chaise longues. Besides, the support device 3 is not needed to be expanded when the chaise longue is not to be used, and only the support device 3 is needed to be expanded in case of using the chaise longue, also improving another drawback of the conventional chaise longue that the soft surface sheet is always extended to let its elasticity gradually lost.

[0017] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I claim
 1. A chaise longue comprising two foot frames, a plurality of lateral rods fixed between said two foot frames at a front portion, an intermediate portion and a rear portion, a seat and backrest combined firmly with said two foot frames, said seat and backrest consisting of two side rods of a sloped down front portion, an intermediate portion for a seat and a sloping upward portion for a backrest, and a soft surface sheet positioned between said two side rods: and: Characterized by a support device pivotally fixed between said two side rods and poised to expand said two side rods outward, said support device consisting of two support rods and a support base connected pivotally to inner ends of said two support rods, said support base having an inverted U-shape with an opening facing downward, said support rods having their inner ends pivotally connected to said support base and their outer ends pivotally connected respectively to said two side rods, said two support rods and said support base having the whole length a little longer than the distance between said two side rods in case of said two support rods expanded to form a line relative to said support base.
 2. The chaise longue as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support device is fixed with a rear side of upper ends of said two side rods.
 3. The chaise longue as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support device is fixed with lower ends of said two side rods. 